Annual Report Farm Family Resource Initiative | FY 2024

Mission

The Southern Illinois University School of Medicine Center for Rural Health and Social Service Development (CRHSSD) is leading the effort to build a network of support and resources for Illinois farm families. The purpose of the initiative is to provide a range of resources including a helpline to assist with farmer and farm-related issues that include mental and physical health needs. Additionally, the initiative offers ongoing outreach, education and training to rural clients and partners working to improve the health and safety of farm families.

The Farm Family Resource Initiative seeks to improve the health and well-being of Illinois farm owners and families by:

  • Identifying farm family needs, including mental health needs
  • Identifying available resources for farm families
  • Creating new resources for farm families
  • Developing a network of partners to respond to farm family needs

Advisory Council

The FFRI Advisory Council is made up of Agriculture industry professionals from throughout the state who meet monthly to provide guidance and support. They also assist with the dissemination of FFRI materials and program information. The Council is led by Karen Stallman, Ag Resource Specialist.

Services

The Farm Family Resource Initiative helpline is available by call, text and email.

Call/Text helpline

1-833-FARMSOS (833-327-6767)

Email helpline

FarmFamilyResourceHelpline@mhsil.com

Telecounseling

Telehealth counseling sessions with SIU Medicine counselors are available for those in need of additional support. Up to six individual, couple or group sessions are available at no cost to the farmer or farm family member with the support of grant funding.

Resources

The FFRI provides a comprehensive list of resources aimed at supporting farmers and farm families in various aspects of their lives, including mental health, safety, and well-being on the FFRI.

This year a separate section was added in resource list for ag professionals.

Marketing

The Farm Family Resource Initiative's marketing campaign spread throughout the state through advertisement in print publications, radio, billboards, posters, flyers, yard signs and promotional items. A marketing dropbox folder was created to share marketing materials with partners.

Over 18,483 promotional items such as wallet cards, pamphlets, flyers, table tents, tote bags, tractor stress relievers, fans, and much more were distributed to various partners, organizations, insurance providers, Illinois Farm Bureau, and state and county fairs.

Print

FarmWeek - 11 - ¼ page ads (2) Wraps – Sept. ’23 & May ’24 - 80,000 Illinois farmers and farm families

AgriNews - 11 - 2x9 ads - Illinois Circulation 25,009

Illinois Country Living - reach 192,000

Billboards

S100902S, St Louis MO, I - 55 - .5 Miles North of Exit 41 ES, Staunton, IL - 253,890 weekly impressions
7-139W, St Louis MO, I-70 E 2 miles W of Vandalia, IL - 60,582 weekly impressions | Champaign-Springfield-Decatur, I - 57 - .4 Miles South of MileMarker 276 ES, Buckley, IL - 144,690 weekly impressions

Continued to provide Spanish versions of FFRI print materials

Social Media

The FFRI increased social media presence in FY 24 on the Center for Rural Health and Social Service Development Facebook page. 51 Social Posts 332 likes | 382 followers

Top 3 Facebook posts

Digital Ads

Brownfield Ag News - Impressions: 287,626 | Clicks: 356 | CTR: 0.12%

Farmweek - Farmweeknow.com

AgriNews eblast - 5,000 impressions

St. Louis AgriBusiness Club - 425 recipients

Digital video

Sinclair Broadcasting Group - Jun 15, 2023 - Sep 30, 2023

YouTube

The Farm Family Resource Initiative playlist on the SIU Medicine YouTube channel has 271 views in FY24.

Finding Strength Together Coping with Stress - An Illinois Farm Family's Story - Top video with 115 views, 7.5 hours of watch time

Harvest a Healthier You Series

Website

FFRI continued to update the website with videos, events, webinars, graphics, blogs and news stories.

13,209 website views in FY24. (Unable to track visits July 2023 - Nov 2023)

Top 10 visited web pages
Farm Health and Safety Week - featured on website
Aspects Spring 2024 47-1 | Mental Health Momentum | 5 Questions with agriculture mental health specialist and podcaster Adrienne DeSutter
May - Mental Health Awareness Toolkit included a flyer, social media graphics, email banner and signature, article and videos

Blogs

12 blogs published. Promoted on website and social media.

Articles

7 articles were published

Media

Media coverage from over 14 news sources from throughout the state

Press releases: 15

24,939 sends

Events and Webinars

"Harvest a Healthier You: Wellness Strategies for Farm Families," hosted and presented by Monica Kramer McConkey, LPCRural Mental Health Specialist. This webinar series covered various topics related to the well-being and mental health of farm families. The series provided valuable insights and resources to support the well-being and mental health of farm families, addressing issues ranging from alcohol use and depression to coping with loss, divorce, and farm legacy transitions.

Fielding Resilience: Identifying and Supporting Struggling Farmers

In this webinar, we tackled the important yet overlooked issues in agriculture, aiming to offer insights and support. The FFRI empowered participants to openly discuss challenges faced by suicidality and explored ways to intervene in crisis situations and provided resources for producers and their families. 29 attendees

Fam Succession Virtual Series

This webinar was designed to assist farmers and farm families with developing a succession plan for their future generations. 35 attendees

Grief and Suicide Bereavement Support Groups

With suicides increasing within the ag community, the FFRI launched an open support group for farmers and farm family members 18 years and older who lost a loved one.

Coffee Chat with Dr. Weshinskey

During this session, host Dr. Weshinskey, a licensed professional educator and national board certified counselor and attendees shared and explore the challenges facing producers and their families, discovered strategies for managing and supporting individuals experiencing suicidality and explored a wealth of resources available to producers, their families, and those who a licensed professional educator and national board certified counselor. 13 attendees

Radio

KTRS radio - Farmer Dave (KTRS) 96 :30 spots

Farm Week - RFD Radio Network 32 :30 spots

Podcast

191 visits to podcast page on website

97 plays on spotify | 6 plays per episode

#1 ranked episode on Spotify

Outreach

The Farm Family Resource Initiative increased awareness about the program state-wide during meetings, presentations, webinars and mailings.

Advisory Council

12 Monthly Advisory Council Meetings

Marketing

50 Weekly marketing meetings

Events & Activities

  • SIU Agronomy Field Day, Belleville
  • SIU Agronomy Field Day, Carbondale
  • University of Illinois Ewing Field Agronomy Field Day
  • Farm Progress Show
  • Illinois State Fair
  • DuQuoin State Fair
  • Everything Local Conference
  • Food Works - Southern Illinois Farming Alliance Conference
  • Madison County Fair
  • Illinois Pork Expo
  • Illinois Soybean Summit
  • Illinois AgrAbility Spring Webinar Series
  • Illinois Beef Expo
  • SIU Day at the Capitol
  • Illinois Wheat Association Meeting
  • Cover Crop Workshop
  • Pinckneyville Hospital Health Fair
  • Charlie Meier's Health Fair
  • Illinois Farm Bureau Annual Meeting

Over 800 total attendees

Presentations

  • RFD interview
  • Suicide Prevention Quarterly Meeting
  • Farmland Trust
  • Illinois Corn Growers
  • Farm Succession Series
  • Illinois Veteran's Coalition
  • Field Resilience Webinar
  • Legislative tour
  • Farmer appreciation breakfast
  • Illinois Soil and Water District Annual Meeting
  • Vermillion County Teacher's In-service
  • Randolph County Farm Bureau Meeting
  • SIU Law School - Attorney professional development

over 550 presentation attendees

AgriSafe Nurse Scholar Program

The FFRI partnered with AgriSafe and Farm Credit Illinois to provide scholarships for training to rural health care professional.

Partners

University of Illinois Extension | Illinois Farm Bureau | Memorial Behavioral Health | Illinois Department of Agriculture | Illinois Beef Association | Illinois Pork Producers | ILSOY | Farm Credit Illinois | Agrisafe | National Alliance on Mental Illness | and more

Financial support for FFRI is provided by the Illinois Department of Human Services, the Division of Mental Health and the Illinois Department of Agriculture in cooperation with USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Impact

Calls received: 23

Average calls per month: 2.25

Texts: 0

Emails: 28

Average number of emails forwarded per month: 3.56

Telehealth sessions: 39

37% of callers were refered to SIU fo teletherapy while both counseling resources

Telehealth clients: 32

Resources: 31 links to online resources

312 visits to resources page